Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain was a television special that aired on August 19, 1989. This half hour program followed Ernest P. Worrell, played by Jim Varney, as he underwent a series of training exercises to become the very first person to ride Disneyland’s newest attraction, Splash Mountain. | Disney History Channel

On August 19, 1989, viewers tuned in to a special half-hour television event that captured a truly wild moment in Disney history — the beloved Ernest P. Worrell becoming the first person to ride Disneyland’s newest attraction at the time: Splash Mountain. In true Ernest fashion, the program followed him as he trained and psyched himself up to take on the thrilling log flume ride, delivering plenty of slapstick laughs along the way. But what really stands out, 35 years later, is that he did it wi